


QMS 12 1

by Deacon_Heller



Series: Quantum Mirror Series [17]
Category: Stargate - All Media Types, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26936998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deacon_Heller/pseuds/Deacon_Heller
Summary: SG10 discover an abandoned Ancient science vessel on a desert planet, and Colt can't resist the opportunity to press a shiny red button. The consequences of this decision will not become apparent to Colt right away.
Series: Quantum Mirror Series [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965412





	QMS 12 1

"Woooo-ach-cough-cough!" Colt choked as he emerged from the stargate into the dusty wind on the brilliant white sun-blasted desert world. "Ugh, eat it desert planet!"

"Oh yeah, it's a hot one!" Ford smirked, as he walked down the steps into the sand. 

"It is in fact hot, but not the hottest world I have ever visited," Natock agreed, as he looked around in his new sunglasses. "Though Tau'ri sun-glasses do make it less unpleasant."

"Oh yeah, they're pretty helpful," Ford said, as the gate closed behind them. "Ok, Jac-bot's not here, but he would say a tribe of desert dwellers similar to Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt," 

"I miss Jac-bot," Colt said. 

"As do I," Natock agreed. 

"So what's the over?" Ford asked, pointing to Natock. 

"An empty Naquadah mine," The Jaffa answered. 

"And the under?" Ford pointed at Colt. 

"Why am I the under?" Colt asked. 

"Because you are under my command."

"Be honest, do you really think I listen to you?"

"The under," Ford repeated. 

"Giant sand worms."

"Predictable, but still something I would like to see," Ford called, out as the three men slowly drifted apart, walking up a dune ahead of the gate. 

"As would I," Natock agreed. 

"So when are we getting Jac-bot back? Colt asked. 

"Apparently Miss Gray thinks that we created an unnecessary android shortage when we secured that ship carrying the Organism, so...not any time soon," Ford answered. 

"Aww, I liked Jac-bot," Colt said. 

"The official reason I was given is that there was a recent string of important archeological finds, and they needed his expertise," Ford said, as he reached the top of the dune and took out his binoculars, scanning the horizon. 

"You do not believe this reason?" Natock said. 

"I went to the droid factory. I saw what it was like. They can make more Jac-bots any time they want," Ford looked over at Natock. "She's holding out on us."

"Then that makes us..." Colt began. 

"Don't say it," Ford said, pointing to Colt. 

"The Three Amigos!" Colt shouted out over the desert.

"I told you not to say it," Ford sighed. 

"The Three Amigos," Natock smiled. "I like this."

"No you don't, that's an order!" Ford said, as he began down the dune, pointing at Natock.

"What is an amigo?" Natock asked Colt.

They walked on for two more miles until Ford noticed the look on Natock's face.

"What's wrong? You've been looking angrier than usual," Ford said to Natock. 

"It is nothing."

"If it was nothing you would look, less..." Ford waved his hand over his face. "I don't know, Jaffa."

"Tulol is under a tremendous amount of pressure from our people."

"About what? You guys are settled in, you're safe. You have your own counsel."

"I know that seems like a great arrangement to the Tau'ri, but there is still a sense of dependence. We have other needs, as well."

"Like what?"

"Symbiotes."

"What do you mean?"

"Many young Jaffa are reaching the age of Prim'Ta. They will need symbiotes or they will grow sick and die."

"Oh, that."

"Joining the Tau'ri has been a great strain on our people, and if we don't secure more symbiotes soon things will become much worse."

"So we'll start yanking snakes from enemy Jakes ."

Natock scowled. 

"We can do that, can't we?"

"We could."

"But?"

"It is considered highly dishonorable, and my people feel like most of their honor has already been stripped from them."

"I can't imagine how hard this must be for you, for all of you."

"Tulol is doing his best, and with each victory my people feel a little more like themselves, but it's not enough."

"We'll get you a world, and we'll help you set up a new life."

"I respect your intentions, and I believe that you mean it, but many of my people still do not trust the Tau'ri."

They walked on in silence for twenty minutes before Colt broke the growing tension.

"I know, let's play eye spy," Colt said, as he walked twenty feet behind Ford. "I spy with my little..."

"Is it an ansible?" Ford interrupted him. "Do you spy an ansible for Alpha yet. What's the deal? When am I gonna have internet?"

"Me and one of the Carter's have put together a prototype, but there are still some bugs," Colt shrugged. "Turns out real time communication across a galaxy involves a lot of math."

"Don't care, make it work. I want internet," Ford growled.

"Yeah, you should be live streaming porn in...a week."

"You have two days."

"I can't possibly do it in less than a month." 

"Your humor continues to elude me," Natock said, from several yards behind Colt. 

"That's because he's not funny," Ford said, as he stopped. The Marine pulled down his sunglasses and looked through his binoculars. 

"My sense of humor is very dry," Colt said, as he stopped beside Ford, and glanced in the direction Ford was looking.

"What does that mean? A dry sense of humor?" Natock asked, as he stopped and looked.

"It means no one understands his jokes," Ford answered. "I got a possible in the distance, about two clicks."

"Seriously?" Colt asked. "Another partially buried ship? I mean...are we really..."

Ford began walking down the dune towards the ship in the distance. 

"I guess we are," Colt said. "Natock, your thought's...oh, you're just going to follow him. Should have seen that coming," Colt shook his head as he followed Ford and Natock. "I'm just going to say it now, we need a nuke on standby from now on. A great big one."

They crossed the blistering sand to the ship. It was a large ship but only the forward canopy was still visible, the rest of the ship had been engulfed by a tall sand dune. "Looks like it's been here a while," Ford commented, as they stood in front of it.

"No desert is truly lifeless," Natock commented. "Even if nothing lives in the sands, the desert itself is alive. It breaths and moves. The sands devour or reveal secrets."

"Poet, philosopher, warrior," Ford smiled, as he looked down from the ship at Natock.

"So, Jaffa really are the Samurai of space," Colt agreed. 

"Lame!" Ford scolded Colt.

"What?" Colt sputtered. 

"You ruined the moment," Ford growled.

"You did," Natock agreed.

"No I di..."

"Come on, let's find a door into this thing," Ford sighed. "Start digging."

"You guys are lame," Colt mumbled as he slipped his backpack off and dug out his folding shovel.

The three of them dug into the dune along the side of the ship for almost an hour before they found a hatch. 

"Alright, open it up," Ford told Colt, pointing to the panel beside the hatch.

"Seriously?" Colt asked. 

"Yeah."

"Do I look like I have the keys or something?"

"Come on, pick the lock, let's go. It ain't getting any cooler out here," Ford insisted. 

Colt looked at Natock, but the Jaffa just nodded at him. Colt rolled his eyes and took a multi tool from a pouch in his belt. He pried the panel open and poked around inside for a few moments before the hatch unsealed and let out a hiss of stale air. Ford and Natock pushed the hatch inward. Ford retrieved his rifle and stepped into the hatch. 

"I claim this ship in the name of..." Ford was cut off.

"Coltopia!" Colt blurted out, poking his head in the hatch behind Ford. "Ha ha, nailed it."

"I do not believe that it was in fact, nailed," Natock said, with a grin as he pushed past Colt carrying his rifle into the ship.

They walked through the hallway of the ship, following Ford. They examined the walls as they walked. 

"So what are we thinking...Ancient?" Ford asked. 

"Looks that way," Colt agreed. 

"Fantastic," Ford mumbled. 

They walked the interior of the ship from end to end before they found the room with the canopy poking out from under the dune. The room was large and oval shaped. There were two seated stations at the front of the room, set behind half circle panel made of three different sections. 

"Bridge?" Ford asked.

"Bridge," Colt guessed. 

In the center of the room was a raised chair, with a panel set on each arm. On each side of the room there was another seated station against the wall facing a set of three screens. At the rear of the room were two more seated stations. Ford slowly waved the light on his rifle over the room and finally walked up and ran his finger over the back of the chair in the center of the room. 

Ford rubbed the dust between his fingers, holding them in front of his light. "Very little dust in here considering how long this ship has been sitting in the desert."

"The ship may still be intact," Natock said. "If so it could mean that it is still functional."

Ford looked around the bridge with his flashlight. "So, intact Ancient ship with no Sleeping Beauties to be seen."

"It would appear so," Natock agreed. 

"Yeah, thank god for that," Colt agreed.

"Ok, fire it up," Ford told Colt.

"Oh , hang on, let me just push the, uh...fire it up button," Colt scowled, as he touched a key on the console. "Guess that wasn't it, let me just..." Colt began pressing other random keys as he stared at Ford. "Oh look...nothing." 

Colt knelt down in front of the forward left seated control station. Colt took out his multi tool and pried the front cover panel loose. Colt took a small flashlight from a pouch on his chest and put it in his mouth so he could see what he was doing. 

"You gonna hot wire it?" Ford asked. 

"Yeah, it's pretty much just a red to red, and black to black situation," Colt said, taking the flashlight out of his mouth and pointing it at Ford's face.

"Really?" Ford asked. 

"No, not really!" Colt squinted in frustration at Ford.

Ford rolled his eyes. 

Colt tapped his finger from crystal to crystal until he chose one to remove. He set it on top of the console and reached into another pouch on the side of his belt. Colt took out a crystal of Ancient design connected to a USB cable. He inserted it into the open slot and unstrapped the computer from his chest as he sat down in the station's seat. 

"You think you can operate the computer?" Natock asked. 

"Well, these guys were the gate builders, which means we've been playing with their technology for a while now, and we've got plenty of their text reference." 

"They just leave it laying around like they're tagging planets," Ford mumbled. 

"Yeah they do. Me and the Jac-bots have been working on translation programs, and interface crystals," Colt said, pointing to the front of the console where the crystal was plugged in. "Alright, I think I got it. It should just be..." Colt stopped typing looking up around the bridge.

Colt and Natock looked around, waiting, but nothing happened. 

"Ummm?" Ford asked.

"Yeah, I thought that was going to be more...well, just, more," Colt said, as he resumed typing in his computer. "You know what, this is going to take a while."

Ford sat down in the chair beside Colt and put his feet up on the console in front of him. He pushed on the seat to see if it would recline, but he didn't push very hard. Natock chose another seat and sat down. He closed his eyes, and his breathing became slow and rhythmic. 

An hour passed before Colt spoke again. "Ok, I think it got it..."

Ford looked around, but nothing happened once again.

"Yeah, I got it," Colt said. He sat back in the seat.

"Doesn't really look like you got an..." Ford stopped when the lights on the ships bridge blinked on. "Never mind."

"Yeah, I had to dig through a bunch of crap to find my way into the ships computer," Colt said. "The interface is still in the beta testing phase. Me and Dr. Bloom are still making corrections and upgrades." 

"So you gonna upgrade me control of the ship any time today?" 

"Seriously?" Colt asked, looking up at Ford. "Ships' been here for like, a million years, and you want all of this right now?"

"Five minutes ago would have been better."

"Why don't you go play outside? See if you can find some sand worms, or maybe some Spice." 

"Right, I find a sand worm, you start riding it around, and I have to explain to General Willis why you won't come home," Ford said, as he walked off the bridge with Natock. 

"Long live the fighters," Colt mumbled, as began typing again. 

Ford returned to the bridge two hours later and saw Colt sitting in the command chair, reading ship files on the center window of the canopy. It also functioned as the main screen for the bridge. The room was washed in the same a pale white light as the rest of the ship. 

"Outstanding, you got the ship working?" Ford asked. 

"Yes and no."

"Why isn't it ever just good news?"

"I think the ship is intact, but the power source is drained. I mean, we got lights, but that's about it."

"So?"

"Good news, bad news, good news."

Ford sighed in frustration. 

"The ship is intact, the power source is depleted, but I think we can substitute it," Colt smiled at Ford. "Say it."

"No," Ford said, as he started walking away. 

"Say it," Colt said louder. 

"NO!"

"Say it!" Colt shouted at Ford. 

"You rock," Ford finally admitted over his shoulder. 

"Yes I do," Colt grinned. 

Ford walked across the dunes back to the gate and dialed Alpha. "This is Sergeant Ford for General Willis."

"Stand by," A woman's voice responded. 

"This is General Willis," He announced after a moment.

"Sir, we have found what appears to be a ship built by the Ancients," Ford said.

"What condition is it in?" Willis asked.

"It seems to be fully intact. Colt is running diagnostics on it now. It looks like the ship was parked out in the desert and the wind blew the dunes around over time and covered most of it. It's power source is almost completely depleted, but Colt thinks that we can power it with a Naquadah generator."

"Understood. I'll send one through shortly, with a technician to help configure an adapter."

"Yes Sir, I'll wait by the gate," Ford said, tapping his ear piece. The gate closed and he looked around for a large rock to sit on. 

An hour later the gate reopened and a tall, thin white haired man came through with a flat bed M.A.L.P. beside him. He operated it with a control pad connected to it by a long cable.

"Dr. Hess," Ford greeted him.

"Good..." The thin man in the plain kaki coveralls looked around and then at the sun. "Afternoon? It is afternoon here isn't it?" 

"Sure, we'll call it afternoon," Ford said, standing up. 

"I'm very excited to see an Ancient ship," He said. 

"Yeah, you see one alien ship, you've seen them all," Ford said, as he turned and headed towards the dunes. 

"I suppose," The thin man said. "This is the first time I've been off-world, well off of Alpha Base out in the field."

"Desert."

"Yes, the desert," He corrected himself. "It's so hot."

"Desert," Ford repeated, pointing sideways at a dune. 

"Do you ever get used to it?"

"Well people in Africa, Asia, India, and Arizona have."

"Yes, I see your point."

"After you plug that thing in I'll ask Colt to fire up the AC."

"The ship has that?"

"They did build the gates. I'm guessing that they mastered air conditioning technology, but I could be wrong," Ford said, as he waited at the top of the dune. 

When the thin man finally reached the ship and dragged the Naquadah generator into the bowls of the ships engine room he began preparing an interface. Ford ordered Colt to help him, but after ten minutes Colt was ready to peel off his own face from frustration. The thin man was unused conditions outside of his laboratory on Alpha and took a great deal of time to be sure of each step in the connection of the generator. Colt on the other hand, was used to building bombs on the run, under fire.

Colt stood behind the thin man as he knelt down and plugged the crystal interface into one slot after another, slowly and carefully replacing each crystal after he blew the dust off, and wiping it with a white cloth. Colt stared at the back of the thin man's head, scowling. Ford came in just in time to see Colt reaching forward to choke the scientist.

"So, how's this going?" Ford asked. Colt stood up quickly as the thin man turned around to look at Ford. 

"We're making break neck progress," Dr. Hess announced.

"Break neck, really?" Ford asked. "Can I just borrow Colt from you for a few minutes?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"Oh, my, God!" Colt said, out in the hall after the door shut. "That guy is the slowest person in the galaxy!"

"You can't say that for sure, we've been to less than one percent of the worlds in this galaxy," Ford grinned. "There could theoretically be someone even slower."

"Seriously, he wiped down each crystal with a white chamois before he put it back into its slot! You know who does that? Crazy people. He's a crazy person."

"Yeah, that must be rough, working with a crazy person," Ford snickered. 

"You don't get it. I'm getting this sharp, reoccurring pain in my left temple."

"Stop! I can't take any more!" Ford stopped to lean against Colt because he was laughing so hard.

"I think I'm losing it man!"

"Ahhhhh!"

"I have to go and explore this ship, or I'm gonna stick a Zat in my mouth and pull the trigger." 

Ford stood laughing as Colt walked down the hall. 

Colt walked around the ship for twenty minutes until he found a door that wasn't locked. He walked in and looked around the for a few seconds before he realized it was a lab. A single console with a chair sat in the center of the room, and on the floor in front of the console sat a small round pad. A matching pad hung from the ceiling directly above it.

"Ancient transporter pad?" Colt wondered out loud. He sat down and tried initiating the system, but nothing happened. "Must not be enough power."

Colt slumped back in the seat, and then all the lights in the ship lit up, and suddenly a deep hum came from deep within the ship. "Finally!" Colt yelled as he threw his hands up and shook his fists.

"Aright, let's see what weirdness these guys were into," Colt said, as he activated the console. Three fields of holographic text appeared over the console, floating silently in the air. "Biological Optimizer, that sounds fun."

Colt sat and read the text for several minutes before he got through the instructions and determined the function of the device. The machine was meant to alter the participant at the genetic level. The Ancients took aim at eliminating disease and defects through DNA enhancement. 

To reach their full genetic potential, part of what the machine did was alter the immune system to resist any and all diseases. Another function was to remove any existing traits leading to birth defects. The aspect that interested Colt the most was the alterations designed for maximum brain function. 

"Sounds like a summer blockbuster," Colt mumbled. "They should get Brad Cooper."

The research only followed the subjects for twenty two years before the experiment was interrupted. The scientists and the subjects were called away from this science station to work on something else, and the experiment was brought to an end. 

Colt sat back and tried to correlate the timeline from when the study was abandoned with what little he knew of the Ancients, what they were doing, and when. The study predated all mention of ascension through meditation or mechanical assistance. 

"Well if it's not an ascension machine...yeah...yeah, I should be fine." Colt muttered to himself as he sat forward and began setting the machine. "They were working with the machine on one percent, and they started documenting results after four years." 

Colt sat back in the chair and thought for a second. "Who has that kind of time?" 

Colt sat forward and began adjusting the settings on the panel. "We'll just bump this up to...well, one hundred percent just seems greedy. Fifty percent? No, I don't want extra arms or anything. If one percent took a few years for them to start showing signs, let's see what...twenty five percent does."

Colt set the machine and stepped onto the platform. He waited for a few seconds, and began to wonder if the machine was still functional when a light overhead washed down on him. It felt strangely warm and cool at the same time. 

"Hmm? Tingly." Colt mumbled. "I wonder how long it ta..." 

The light overhead switched off and the feeling subsided. Colt looked up and waited a few seconds before he stepped off the platform and sat back behind the counsel. He rubbed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Tastes like pennies."

He examined the readings, and saw that the machine recorded his initial DNA for a baseline comparison, and the alteration made to his DNA. The results were too complicated for Colt to fully understand. 

"Well, apparently I'm twenty five percent better now. Cool. Wonder what that's going to look like, or if the machine is still functional," Colt stood up and grabbed his rifle from the floor beside the chair and walked out of the room. "Well, the rest of the ship ain't gonna explore itself."

Colt got up and walked the rest of the ship. Now that the ship had more power Colt could open doors and check each of the other laboratories. The first two were open but the third was locked. Colt tried to crack the door code for twenty minutes before he gave up and made his way back to the bridge.

Colt sat in the command chair and accessed the ships controls. He poked through the ships functions until he found the code to open the heavy blast shielding that covered them. As the shields opened the bridge flooded with yellowish orange sun light. The star was close to Earth's in size and color, but there was no mistaking the sun of your own home world. 

Colt searched for the diagnostic functions and then realized that he could activate the same floating holographic screen over the command seat. He tried it, but all the lights on the bridge dimmed significantly. Colt looked up at the bridge lights, and frowned, realizing that it was a heavy power draw he quickly deactivated it. Instead he just left it on the small screen on the right arm console.

While the program was running Colt looked out the canopy at a mountain range in the distance. Colt's mind drifted off as he glanced over the jagged peaks. He saw steaks of glinting gold and silver slanting at an angle, and Colt wondered for a second if it was actually gold, or just some crystal that looked like it. 

"What'cha looking at?" Ford asked, as he walked up beside Colt. 

"The gold vein in those mountains," Colt pointed out the canopy. 

Ford glanced out the canopy in the direction Colt was looking. There was a dark jagged outline on the horizon. Ford squinted at them, but couldn't see any gold. "What gold veins?"

Colt looked back out the window, and the mountains seemed miles further than they had a second ago. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at Ford. "Made ya look."

"You find anything else while you were poking around?"

"I walked the rest of the ship, and there are four labs. The first has what looks like a genetic manipulation machine like the one SG1 found Niirti playing with. There were two more that looked like chemistry labs, and a fourth that is still locked." 

"You couldn't crack it? What about everything else?" Ford asked waving his finger around the ship. 

"Running diagnostics right now," Colt said. "Looks like...all the ships systems are fine. All we need is more power."

"How much?"

"Give me a second..." Colt walked over to the console his computer was attached to and sat down. He began typing for a few seconds before he looked up to Ford, "...15 Naquadah generators should be enough."

"Fifteen?"

"Well, 14.4, but you can't split a generator in half."

"Ok, I'm going to report back to Alpha and give them the update," Ford said, as he walked away.

"Hang on, you don't have to," Colt said. He got up and walked over to the right forward station and he sat down. "Check this out." 

Ford looked down and saw a panel of keys with the same constellations as the DHDs. "We can dial from here?" Ford asked. 

"Let me make sure," Colt said, as he keyed in the address for Alpha Base. "Try it." Colt nodded to Ford. 

"Alpha Base this is Sergeant Ford?" Ford said, tapping his ear piece. 

"Go ahead Sergeant." A voice came back. 

"Nice," Ford whispered to Colt. "SG 10 status report, we have powered up the ships systems."

"Sergeant Ford?"

"Yes General," Ford stood up slightly straighter. 

"Give me some good news, Sergeant."

"The generator gave us enough power to operate the ships systems and run diagnostics."

"And?"

"It seems to be fully intact, but it just lacks power."

"What will it take to get it off the ground and send it home?" Willis asked.

"Colt ran the numbers and he thinks that fifteen Naquadah generators will be sufficient to get the ship back to Earth." 

"I'm not sure that the SGC has fifteen of them just laying around." General Willis replied. 

"Well, if you don't ask the answer is no," Colt chimed in. "Besides, for an ancient ship with unknown science secrets I think the SGC will find them."

"I'll see what I can do," Willis replied, "In the meantime I've got a team of scientists climbing over each other to get into that ship."

"Are you sending them right now? We don't have anything set up yet."

"Gray is...insistent."

"Understood Sir."

"Alpha will contact you in one hour with further orders."

Ford's coms went silent. The gate was closed. 

"We're going to be hosting some scientists until they can collect enough generators to get this bird in the air," Ford said to Colt. 

An hour later Ford was instructed to meet the team by the gate and escort them back to the ship. Ford found Dr. Hess and told him to bring the flat bed M.A.L.P back to the gate. Hess was very excited to be getting more generators. Ford took him back to the gate and reported in. 

"I'm in position," Ford announced. 

"We're sending the team through now."

"Standing by."

Four scientists came through the gate, each carrying large plastic cases and equipment. Ford waited for them to orient themselves and get used to the heat. For at least three of them it was the first time they'd been anywhere other than Alpha.

"They're all here Alpha," Ford said, tapping his ear piece. He waved them to a spot in front of the gate to wait for everyone to get ready to move, noting that each scientist was from a different country. Ford felt the IOA, and Gray herself, behind this group. His stomach began to knot. The situation had just become political, and he preferred combat over politics. 

"We're putting each of the generators through," A female voice announced. "We were able to secure eight."

"Copy that," Ford scowled. As each one slid through the gate Ford handed it over to Hess, who put it on the flat bed. Once they were all through Hess secured the generators to the M.A.L.P.. "We have all eight."

"Try not to lose any of them, and make sure the team stays hydrated."

"I'll keep 'em fed and watered, Alpha," Ford said, tapping his ear piece. After the gate closed he turned and faced them. "Alright, grab you gear and follow me."

"Sergeant could you give me a hand with..." Dr. Higgs, a short thick man with spectacles began to ask. 

"Can't," Ford said, as he turned around and faced the man he held up his rifle. "My hands are full."

The scientist scowled at Ford's back and wiped his forehead with his sleeve before he picked up his cases and struggled after him. Ford ignored their complaints of the heat, and the sand. The Marine stopped twenty feet ahead of the gate and waited for them to catch up. When a hunched elderly woman passed him with her cases Ford rolled his eyes. "Here, let me help you with that." 

Ford picked up the large black plastic case she was carrying with his left hand. "I'll take this Dr. Radnitz."

"Oh sweetie, call me Gerta," She smiled at him. 

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Gerta," She corrected, as she straightened up and quickly walked past him.

"Well played Doctor," Ford smiled, as the old woman deftly strode up the dune. When the ship was in sight he turned and looked back at them. "Come on people, we got the AC on inside."

Hess trailed behind them with the M.A.L.P, but didn't seem to mind. He was too excited by the idea of running nine generators at once to care about the desert.

Inside the ship Ford escorted Higgs back to the engine room while Natock took the rest of them to the bridge. Colt met them at the door. "Ok, who's looking for what?"

"Weapons?" Dr. Bovet asked. 

"Forward left station," Colt pointed out. "I'll get my computer off of that."

"Shields?" Gerta asked, holding up one finger. 

"That station is on the wall over there," Colt pointed to the left side of the bridge. As Gerta began walking towards the location Colt indicated, he looked back at remaining scientist, Dr. Amano. 

"Ancient technology," Amano said.

"Right," Colt nodded. "Well, just pick something I guess."

Ford returned to the bridge a moment later. Colt and Natock walked over to him. 

"Hess is hooking up the eight generators that came through with them," Ford pointed at the scientists. 

"All they sent were eight generators?" Colt demanded.

"Yup," Ford agreed. 

"I said fifteen."

"I heard you. So did General Willis, and this is what they sent."

"It's not going to be enough."

"I get that, but you need to understand that we aren't the only team running around hassling the Goa'uld."

"Yeah, yeah, safety of the universe. Whatever."

"Figure out what you can do with what we got. I mean, that's why I keep you around."

"You're kill'n me Ford," Colt growled as he walked over and took his computer from the weapons station and set it on the navigation station to the right. He sat down and slammed his computer on the console. "Kill'n me!" Colt shook as he shouted, without looking up from his computer. 

Ford grinned as he sat down in the command chair.


End file.
